#IMMusicMonday: Getting to Know “the Next Adele,” Hope

The UK has a new rising star. Her name? Hope. Dubbed “the next Adele,” singer-songwriter Hope is well on her way to being music’s next big name.

Hope recently had her first big gig: supporting Brian McFadden at Boisdale in Canary Wharf from November 6-9, a perfect opportunity for her to get her music out to the masses.

IndustryMe was lucky enough to get to talk to Hope about these shows, her upcoming EP, and much more.

What are your musical influences?

I think the majority of musicians or music lovers listen to music all the time. I certainly do. It’s always with me, and so I tend to listen to a real mixture. My main inspirations are the artists I was brought up around – Joni Mitchell, Eva Cassidy, and Turin Brakes. This is the music that is at the core of my musical being. Norah Jones is a huge inspiration to me, along with Guy Garvey as a lyricist. Too many to choose from!

When did you realize you wanted to be a singer/songwriter/musician?

I never realised I wanted to be a musician until I was around 14. Music was really fun, but considering a professional career in it is a pretty big deal. I have always felt a deep connection with music since I was very little, well, any sort of creative medium really. I had a certain hesitance to jump into the music industry after the tragedy of Amy Winehouse too. Ultimately, I bring it back to the music, and the magical process of writing songs. There’s nothing that makes me happier than that.

What has your musical journey been so far?

I’ve had a very lucky journey so far. A very small label picked me up very early on. That was the start of it all really, they believed in me. I started gigging, recording. I had the pleasure of being the soundtrack for the 2016 Dog Trust Campaign. Most of all, I really hit the jackpot with YouTube. I managed to reach over 15 million people, which when I think about that number really is pretty overwhelming. I feel very lucky for that. I did a little support tour round some 02 Academy’s, which was pretty amazing too. I’ve had a great journey so far and am looking forward to seeing where it goes.

How would you describe your sound?

I’ve heard other singer songwriters struggle defining their sound too because it doesn’t necessarily fit with a genre, so we end up saying ‘singer songwriter’ which could mean anything haha! It’s a combination of my influences with a whole lot of me in there too. It’s soulful; there are elements of blues, folk, and pop. Ultimately you listen to my music in order to feel something.

You’re being called “the next Adele” – those are pretty big shoes to fill. What do you make of this comparison?

I know, right? I’m obviously seriously honoured as she is an absolute queen. I sometimes feel a bit hesitant about comparisons, as despite this being a wonderful compliment, at the end of the day, we are two different people, with different backgrounds and different sounds. But yeah, hugely honoured.

What are you most looking forward to about the shows at Boisdale?

I’m going to have to keep my cool when meeting Brian McFadden – I’m really excited to just play to a new audience and spend time in London. I love London. I’m looking forward to airing out some new material to a completely new audience, yeah.

What are your plans/goals for 2019?

To get my EP finished and out into the world.

What can we expect from the new EP?

It’s definitely a departure. I was so young when I released my previous stuff, and it was a great education for me on the process of making and releasing records. But I had no clue what I wanted my sound to be. I’ve been spending the time since those releases to make informed decisions on what sound I want to put out there. So this EP at its core it’s still me. It’s a bunch of my best songs, with a band behind it giving it a kick. In a good way.